Percussion musical instrument.



J. C. DEAGAN. PERCUSSION MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.6 I917.

Patented J an. 21, 1919.

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WITED' STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

JOHN C. DEAGAN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

PERCUSSION MUSICAL ITTS'IRUMENT.

To all whom it may concern:

Be'it known that 1, JOHN C. DEAUAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Percussion MusicalInstruments, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exactdescription.

My invention relates to percussion musical instruments.

f' The instrument of my invention includes a plurality of sounding barscapable of producing tones of a chord when set into vibration.Inaccordance with one feature of the invention the bars are providedwith a resonating box having openings therein through which the soundproduced by the bars may pass. there being a partition or partitionswithin the interior of the box that divide the box into resonatingcompartments, these partitions sloping to have portions thereof underliethe openings pertaining thereto. Each resonating compartment preferablyhas two valves for adjusting the effective size of the opening therein,one valve being normally fixed while the other is adjustable.

In accordance with another feature of my invention the sounding bars areflat and are supported by strings located near the opposite ends of thebars and at nodal points thereof. These strings pass through openings inthe bars and are themselves provided with supports that have stringengaging portions located at the spaces between the bars and between theends of the bars whereby the bars are flexibly supported insubstantially the same plane without having freedom for movingmaterially in their plane.

I will explain my invention more fully by reference to the accompanyingdrawing showing the preferred embodiment thereof and in which Figure 1is a front elevation with one of the sounding bars partially broken awayto reveal certain characteristics of co struction; Fig. 2 is a view online -22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a view on line 3-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is aview on line 4-4 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 5 is a plan view of a portion ofthe instrument, with a part removed.

Like parts are'indicated by similar characters of reference throughoutthe different figures.

Each

sound producing device is inclusive Specification of Letters Patent.-

Patented Jan. 21, 1919.

Application filed August 6, 1917. Serial No. 184,583.

of a fiat sounding bar 1 and a resonating compartment 2 longitudinallyof which the sounding bar is disposed, the compartment having an opening3 desirably extending longitudinally of the bar in the space between thenodal points thereof, this opening being narrower than the bar andprovided on the side of the compartment which faces the bar. Each barhas an opening 4, at each of two nodal points, that extends from broadface to broad face of the bar and which is preferably rounded at itsends and is smallest at mid length to avoid sharp edges at its, ends.The resonating compartments 2 are formed by wall portions of a box 5whose interior is separated off into tubular spaces by means ofpartitions 6 which partially underlie the openings 3, these partitionsserving not only to separate the box 5 into resonating compartments butalso directly acting as sound reflectors which are impinged upon by thesound waves entering the resonating chambers before encountering otherwalls of the resonating chambers. Sounding bar supporting posts 7 aredisposed between the bars and are screwed into the front wall of the boxand are provided, each, with four apertures. The two uppermost oroutermost apertures in each post are threaded by a string 8 desirably inthe form of a leather thong. Each post thus has engagement with thestring at places spaced apart longitudinally of each post a. distancematerially in excess of the thickness of the bars. There are two rows ofsuch posts located in transverse alinement with the openings 4. There isdesirably provided one thong or string 8 for the row of posts which isturned upon itself so that both ends of the same string are attached tothe same post, the right hand post as exhibited in Figs. 4 and 5, whereboth ends of the string are tied together in a knot 9. Parts of thestring are laced inwardly through the openings 4 and other parts of thestring are laced outwardly through these openings, the string beingcrossed within the openings 4. The bight of the string is anchored tothe extreme left hand post 7 as indicated. By this arrangement the barsare flexibly supported in substantially the same plane without havingfreedom for moving materially in such plane.

I desirably provide a supplemental string normally out of contact withthe bars but serves to support the bars in the event of breakage of itsassociate string, In case the string 8 should sag sufiicientlyto'bring'the bars in contact with the supplemental cushions 10 the lattercushions maybe shifted to thread the openings 11. in the posts 7 whichare farther away from the bars than the openings through which thestrings 10 are initially passed. v Strips 12 are attached to the outerends of the posts 7 by means of nuts 13, these strips being intheplanes; of the stringsS and 10 suiiiciently to conceal the same to.prevent the strings particularly the string 8-, from being unsightly.The concealing strips 12 are desirably i-nturned at 14: sufficiently toconceal the places of attachment of the strings 8 and 10 with theoutermost posts 7,' they inturned ends of the strips 12 being in thesame planes with the rows of posts 7.

The bars vare preferably,v but not necessarily, of uniform lengt-handwidth but of littering thickness. p In the constructionof the instrumenteach opening 13 is provided with a pair of valves 16 and l7.- Theyalves-l'l-are arranged to enable them to be adjustedby the user whilethe valves 16 are'fixedly adjusted in the constructionof the instrument.T-he instrument thus leaves the. factory accurately tuned and if forany. reason the tuning becomes disordered it may be reefi'ected by thevalves 17 A Glaizns respecting, the sloping partitions (3- are containedinadivision. of

this application Serial No. 257615 filed Octo ber 10 1918.

While I have herein shown and particuchanges, may readily be madewithout departing from the spirit of my invention, but havingthusdescribed my invention I claim as new and desire to secure by LettersPatent the following v V 1. A musical instrument including a pluralityof substantially fiat sounding; bars each providedwith anopeningtherethrough passing. from broad face-to broad face thereofandadjacent anodal point; supporting posts between the bars; and astring support-having portions passing through each of saidopenings andcrossing therein and having engagement with each postat placesseparatedlongitudinally of such post a' distance materially inexcess ofthe thickness of the adjacent bars." 1 2. A musical instrumentincludinga plurality of substantially fiat sounding bars.

each provided with an opening extending therethrough frombroadfaceto'broad face thereof at'each of two nodal points ;,support'ing strings for said bars" each passing."

through openings in eachbar; and means for supportingthestrings-uwhich.enga ge the strings between the bars to" support the bars insubstantially thev same plane.

.- A In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribemy name this ninth. day ofJ uly A. D.,; 1 91 7.

' JonN'o. DEAGAN.

.CopiesIof thii patent. may. be obtained for five cents each, byaddressing tjlier(commissioner-of infinity y wasnin m rtr', i w

